During the war, the Duchy grew increasingly committed to food production. At Home Farm, near Stoke Climsland in the Tamar Valley, the prize-winning Shorthorn cattle were looked after by a celebrity under-herdsman: novelist Charlotte Matheson.
In her time Charlotte was a well-known
writer, with novels including A
Generation Between (1915) and Children
of the Desolate (1916). Nature and the countryside are themes in all
her books, so perhaps it was natural that she joined the Women's Land Service
Corps, forerunner of the Women's Land Army.
During 1917 the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News,
always looking for a rural viewpoint on war stories, featured Home Farm. Photographs
showed Charlotte feeding the pigs, milking the cows and taking the prize bull
for his daily walk. The Times too
ran a piece on her, commenting that she took 'a share in all kinds of work,
heavy and light.'
Although renowned for its
livestock, the farm's food-producing credentials were emphasised by the press. The
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News
reported that of the 400 acres of cultivated land, around a quarter was under
corn, 'while potatoes are also being exploited in accordance with the Board of
Agriculture's plea.'
My book, 'Cornwall In The
First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll
find it in bookshops across the Duchy. It's also available through Amazon: http://amzn.to/19JbtZm
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